INDIA. PART II.

Vaka, the Asura,

man victim

the city of

Then the Pathetic de

scription of the

prayed

family of a Bráh

man, who were

suffer

required to furn

ish a human victim.

named Vaka, lived near the city, and forced the Raja of HISTORY OF that city to send him a great quantity of provisions every day, as well as a man to accompany the provisions; and that Vaka every day devoured the man as well as the provisions; demands a huand that on that very day the family of the Brahman was every day from required to supply the man. Then the Bráhman said that Ekachakrá. he would go himself and be devoured by the Asura, but he wept very bitterly at the hardness of his destiny. wife and daughter of the Brahman, each in her turn, that she might go in his room, but he would not either, and they all three lifted up their voices and wept very sore. Now the Bráhman had an infant son who could scarcely speak, and when the little lad saw that his parents were very sorrowful, he broke off a pointed blade of grass, and said with a prattling voice:-"Weep not, my father, weep not, my mother, for with this spike I will kill the maneating Asura." At this sight Kuntí bade the family dry their tears, for that one of her sons would go to the Asura; but the Brahman said :-" You are Bráhmans, and especially my guests; and if I go myself I am obeying the dictates of the Raja, but if I send one of you, I cause the death of a Bráhman, and of one who is my guest, and I do an act which is abhorred by the gods." Kuntí answered :-"The Asura will have no power over my son Bhíma, and I will send him to destroy the cannibal." And the Brahman consented. Then Bhíma obeyed the commands of his mother with great joy. He set out with the ordained quantity of Bhima's serioprovisions, consisting of a waggon-load of kichri, a fine tions for doing buffalo, and a huge jar of ghee, and he went on until he Asura. came to the banyan tree under which Vaka was accustomed to eat his meals. And a crowd of people followed him, for all were desirous of seeing the coming combat, but when they beheld the banyan tree they fled away in great terror. Bhíma then proceeded to eat up all the victuals that were in the waggon, and to re-fill it with dirt; and he then drank up all the ghee, and re-filled the jar with water of the vilest description. When he had finished, Vaka came forward Disappointment ravenous with hunger, with two large bloodshot eyes as big Asura.

comic prepara

battle with the

and wrath of the

INDIA. PART II.

The battle.

Bhima rends
Vaka asunder.

HISTORY OF as saucers, and a jaw gaping open like a cave; and Vaka uncovered the waggon and found that it contained nothing but dirt; and he raised the jar, and the villainous liquor poured over his face and into his gaping mouth. Then his eye fell upon Bhíma who was sitting on the ground with his back towards him, and in his rage he struck Bhíma with all his might with both fists; but Bhíma cared not for the blow, and arose up and laughed in his face. Then the Asura was in violent wrath, and he tore up a large tree by the roots, and rushed at Bhíma to demolish him; but the mighty Pándava in like manner tore up a huge tree and struck about him lustily; and each one tore up trees by the roots, and broke them to pieces against the other, until not a tree was left; and then they fought with their fists until the Asura was spent. After this Bhíma seized Vaka by the legs and rent him asunder; and the Asura expired with a bellowing cry which seemed as if it would bring the heavens about their ears. All the other Asuras, the subjects of the slain Chieftain, were then in a great terror, and came forward with their hands clasped together as suppliants to the conqueror of their Raja. So Bhíma bound them over by solemn oaths never more to eat the flesh of men, nor to injure them in any way. And he dragged the slain monster by the heels to the gate of the city, and left it there and entered the city by another way; and he went to the house of his mother and brethren, and told them all that had The Pandavas Occurred. And when he had finished, Yudhishthira said depart out of the city of Ekacha- that they must immediately leave the city, lest the people should discover who they were, and the news should reach the ears of the Kauravas that they were still alive; and accordingly they all departed out of Ekachakrá, together with their mother Kuntí. Meantime the people of the place found the dead body of the Asura, and shouted with joy; but when they learnt that the brethren had left the city they were very sorrowful, as they were eager to show their gratitude to their deliverer.

Submission of

the subjects of the Asura.

krá.

Review of the

second fiction.

This extraordinary fiction is a striking reflex of Painful realism the mind of the Hindú. There is a horrible realism

of the narrative.

INDIA. PART II.

of genius in the introduction of

for children.

of a Hindú audience at the ir

in the description of Vaka, the cannibal, which is HISTORY OF immediately succeeded by one of the most pathetic scenes which ever presented itself to the imagination of the poet. The shrinking of the poor Bráhman from his impending fate, and the weeping and groaning of the wife and daughter, might easily have been suggested to ordinary minds; but the introduction of the little boy waving his spear of Masterly stroke grass in childish anger at the Asura is not only an the Brahman's exquisite touch of nature, but an affecting illustra- infant son. tion of that warm affection for children, and deep Hindu fondness sympathy in all their thoughts and ways, which are the special characteristics of the Hindú. The transition from profound sorrow to the most intense delight is another curious feature in the narrative. Whilst the women and children in the Hindú Intense delight audience have been shedding real tears, and even ritating proceedweeping violently, in pity for the poor Bráhman and his wife and daughter, they never fail to laugh obstreperously at the preliminary proceedings of Bhíma for exciting the wrath of the Asura, and to raise a perfect shout when the Asura discovers the tricks which have been played upon him, and is subsequently rent asunder by the mighty P'ándava. The sequel of the story is not without historic Historical signi significance with reference to the advance of the story, as illusAryans through an aboriginal population. Rude tension of the and barbarous as the Kshatriya warriors may have aborigines been, the aboriginal peoples appear to have been of a still more brutal and savage character, living in caves in the jungle, and devouring human flesh ; and it is easy to conceive that when an Aryan Raja had vanquished an Asura Chieftain, he would bind over the subjects of that Chieftain to abandon their

ings of Bhima.

ficance of the

trating the ex

Aryan supremacy the

INDIA.

HISTORY OF Cannibal habits, and keep the peace towards their more civilized neighbours. The date of the story Buddhistic cha may be fixed, like that of the preceding fictions, in

PART II.

racter of the

story.

Distinction between the Ary

ans residing in cities, and the

ple of the jungle.

the age of Buddhism; and the lives which the Pándavas are said to have led in the city of Ekachakrá is precisely that of Buddhist priests carrying round the alms bowl.

There is another point in connection with this mythical narrative of the first exile of the Pánaboriginal peo- davas, which must not be passed over in silence, namely, the distinction between the city and the jungle. The cities of Váranávata and Ekachakrá, the modern Alláhabád and Arrah, were each occupied by Bráhmans, who may be regarded as the later representatives of the Aryan population, whilst the jungle was evidently in the possession of the Asuras or aborigines. Then, again, whilst the Aryan outto the eastward post at Alláhabád seems to have maintained an ascendancy over the aborigines, or at any rate was apparently secure from their attacks; the city of Arrah, which was two hundred miles further to the eastward, was compelled to pay a daily tribute of provisions to the Raja of the Asuras.

Ekachakrá, or
Arrah, 200 miles

of Váranávata,

or Allahabad.

CHAPTER IV.

MARRIAGE OF THE PANDAVAS.

INDIA.

verts from fic

tradition.

of the marriage

vas to Draupadi,

ja Drupada.

AFTER Bhima's battle with Vaka, the narrative HISTORY OF again changes from fiction to reality; and the reader PART II. is somewhat suddenly transplanted from the region Narrative reof fancy in eastern India, to the north-west country tion to authentic of authentic tradition, of which Hastinapur may be regarded as the centre. The events which followed may therefore be received as being more or less based upon actual fact. They refer to the marriage Important story of the five Pandavas to one wife, who was the daugh- of the five Pandater of that Raja Drupada of Panchála, whom they daughter of Ra had themselves reduced to submission at the instance of their tutor Drona. The whole story is so foreign to modern ideas, and at the same time so suggestive and significant, that it must be regarded as forming one of the most important traditions in the Mahá Bhárata. The narrative, however, has undergone so Extensive modimany modifications in order to bring it into con- tradition in orformity with later ideas, that it will be necessary with modern hereafter to subject all its details to careful investi- ideas of moralgation, in order that the historical significance of the legend can be fully apprehended without doing an injustice to the moral sense of the modern Hindús.

The first anomaly which attracts the attention

fications of the

der to reconcile

ity.